Australian thalidomide victims win right for hearing

Australian thalidomide victims have won the right to have a landmark class action heard on home soil.

The pregnancy drug caused mass deaths and birth defects worldwide in the 1950s and 1960s.

Melbourne woman Lynette Rowe, who was born without limbs, is leading the Australian action.

The drug's manufacturer, Grunenthal, has been fighting to have the case heard in Germany.

The company has never been successfully sued in its homeland.

But the Victorian Supreme Court dismissed Grunenthal's application.

Ms Rowe's family pleaded with the drug's maker to stop delaying the class action.

Her lawyers have warned that the company plans to raise more issues which could further delay proceedings.

They say it will not be an easy path ahead.

Her father, Ian Rowe, says it is urgent the case now proceed as soon as possible.

"Let Lyn have her day in court. Please don't cause any more delay just for delay's sake," he said.

"Time is not on our side. Wendy and I are getting older now, I'm almost 80.

"We really need to know how Lynette will be provided for when we can no longer do it ourselves."

Ms Rowe cried silently as her father spoke.

Her lawyer, Peter Gordon, said more than a hundred thalidomide survivors are now involved in the class action, and more are expected to come forward.

He described thalidomide as a "medical and pharmaceutical disaster".

Mr Gordon and a legal team have travelled to Germany in recent weeks to gain access to large volumes of company documents.

He said what they have found could influence future cases overseas.

"We do believe that a lot of the evidence and the disclosures about what Grunenthal knew are probably matters which have never come to light outside Germany, or in the English speaking world, prior to now," he said.

"There may be some new facts that come to light that may be of interest to all thalidomiders, not just in Australia, but in many other countries where it was distributed."

Grunenthal has payed out many millions of dollars to thalidomide victims in a number of countries, including in the United Kingdom.

But the company has never been successfully sued in Germany and has settled court cases before they reached an adverse judgement.

The Australian class action is expected to be heard in Melbourne next year.